Turkey detains 13 over Syria operation criticism

Bobbie Sutton |Saturday, February 03, 2018

Features

A mortar shell exploded near Ozer, hitting him in a leg and arm.

Turkish authorities on Friday ordered the detention of 13 people for supporting the national medical association online, the newspaper Hurriyet reported, after the organisation publicly opposed a military campaign in Syria.

Turkish operations, including airstrikes against targets in Afrin, are ongoing.

"Why are certain [Western] countries trying to ignore the terrorists' actions?" The district is controlled by the US-backed the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) militias, which Ankara considers affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization in Turkey and several other countries.

Ankara launched a cross-border offensive into Afrin on January 20 to rout the Syrian Kurdish militia it says is linked to insurgents fighting inside Turkey.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed that 68 civilians, including 21 children, have been killed in Afrin in the Turkish operation.

Turkey's General Staff has sent text messages to the population of Syria's Afrin city urging to resist terrorists, Turkish media reported February 2 quoting a military source.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office earlier on Sunday announced in a statement that investigations had been launched into individuals who have called on people to take to the streets to protest Turkey's operations targeting Afrin.

Turkish forces have been carrying out a clearance operation against the insurgents to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders.

Defending champ Matsuyama 5 strokes back at Phoenix Open
After some stops and starts, the tournament has been held continuously since 1944 and at its current location since 1987. Haas fired an eagle and five birdies to edge ahead of compatriot Rickie Fowler in a chasing pack of five on Thursday.

Patriots' Rob Gronkowski cleared to play in Super Bowl
There of course was the snow game, when Brock Osweiler played in place of an injured Peyton Manning and running back C.J. Sometimes you need an outsider's perspective and this is clearly something Gase will get from his new group of hires.

National Wear Red Day spreads heart health awareness
February marks American Heart Month which raises awareness to save lives from the nation's number one killer: heart disease . The city of Winston-Salem will officially kick off National Wear Red Day at the 10th annual Winston-Salem Goes Red Breakfast.

Galaxy S9, S9+ components leak, familiar batteries inside
The picture of the cat illustrates depth-of-field and how well the Galaxy S9's camera can preserve quality from front to back. Also, the larger Galaxy S9 Plus would feature a vertically-aligned dual camera module on the rear panel.

Meghan Markle smiles through awards nominations mix-up
She and Prince Harry attended a pre-ceremony reception for VIP guests including the nominees, Endeavour participants and funders. It's no surprise Meghan handled the hard moment so well - after all, she's been in the spotlight for most of her adult life.

16 children died from flu last week as concerns mount
The H3N2 strain, which is believed to have mutated, is particularly virulent and associated with more adverse outcomes. Wash your hands regularly, cough into the crook of your elbow, throw your tissues into the trash - and get vaccinated.

Riyad Mahrez goes awol after Man City transfer flops
What makes the failed deal even worse for Mahrez is that there was some confusion between the two clubs in negotiating. "It's of course always a hard situation and we will have to manage this situation with Riyad", Puel said .

Fisher to un-retire, join Predators for playoff push
"I watched a video this morning and I was ready to play tomorrow", he laughingly told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. How good this team is. "But we didn't win a year ago , and it was the best time in my career and we didn't win".